Building construction



July 5, A1938.

B. LONDON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 25, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN-roR Bernard Lol/c1022 BY QM //NEYS July 5, 193s. B, LONDON 2,122,479

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 25, 1955 4vSheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR ATTO R N EYS July 5, 1938. B. LONDON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-She'et 3 Filed May 25, 1935 INVENToR Eer/mrd Londo/2 ATTORNEYS B. LONDON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION July 5, 1938.

4 ShetS-Sheet 4 INVENTOR )3e/hard Lanci/fou Filed May 25, 1935 Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE,

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Bernard London, New York, N. Y.

Application May 25,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to building construction. This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 752,969, entitled Building construction, filed November 14, 1934 and one of the dominant aims of this invention is to improve upon certain features of the building construction therein disclosed and particularly to provide a simple and less expensive method of constructing building units of the general character disclosed in my aforesaid application.

Another object of this invention is to facilitate the construction of fire-resistant, water-proof, sound-proof and heat-insulating building construction units or building units, and particularly to provide a method of constructing such units which may be more readily and inexpensively suited to quantity or mass production. Another object is to provide building unit constructions that may be more readily assembled to form the walls or other portions of a building. Another object is to provide a building unit construction of the general type or character as disclosed in my above-mentioned application but in which numerous additional practical and economic advantages may be inexpensively and dependably achieved. Another object of my invention is to provide a building construction of the abovementioned character which will lend ,itself to wider variety or diversification of installation or interrelation as, for example, with certain other methods of building construction or ofwall surfacing, and thus to provide a wider and greater range or flexibility of use or application of the building units of my invention. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts and in the several steps and relation and order of each of the same to one or more of the others, all as will be illustratively described herein, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown certain of the various possible embodiments of certain mechanical features of my invention, 50 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a side wall and ceiling (or' floor) of a building, showing the rear wall, which may be an inside or an outside wall, in front elevation;

Figure 2'is a reproduction on an enlarged scale of a portion of Figure 1, showing more particu- 1935, :Serial No. 23,369 (Cl. 154-28) larly certain features of the ceiling and noor construction;

Figure 3 is a sectional view as seen along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; A

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale as seen along the line 4-4 of Figure 1, showing a possible arrangement for connecting two vertical walls together at a corner;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale through a wall, such as an outside wall, showing certain features of my invention as carried out when it is desired to embody, in constructing the building, means 'such as poured concrete;

Figure 6 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a spacer employed in the construction of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view, showing in perspective, the several parts that may be interrelated to each other to construct a single building unit;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic representation of the mechanical features that may be employed in carrying out certain steps in the construction of the building unit of Figure 7 Figure 9 is a vertical sectional View as seen along the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view as seen along the line Ill-I0 of Figure 8;

Figure 11 isa perspective view of a corner fragment of the construction resulting from the steps carried out by Way of the apparatus .of Figure 8. l

SimilarV reference characters refer to similar partspth'roughout the several views of the drawings; r

As conducive to a readier and clearer understanding of certain features of my invention about to be described, it might first at this point be noted that in Figure 1 there are shown two vertical walls A and B of a building, extending at right angles to each other, and made up of what I term building construction units or building units which are preferably of substantial dimensions as to length or breadth or height or breadth; for example, they may be of a length or vertical height of 1Q and a width of 5'. Or as vis suggested in Figure l-they may be of a height approximating 5 or 6 and of a width approximating 3', 4' or 5', and accordingly between the floor line C and the ceiling D two courses of such building units will suftlce to build up such extent of wall as is necessary to reach from the oor line to the ceiling line. The lower course of the walliA comprises building units E, F, G and H; the next course comprises the building units El, F1, G1 and H1; and extending above the ceiling line or the line of the ceiling D, additional such courses are carried of which only one, comprising the building units E2, F2, G2 and H2 may be shown. The wall B is similarly arranged or constructed and of the various courses of building units embodied therein it is sufficient to point out the building units I, I1 and I2.

In so far as certain features of my invention are concerned, the above-mentioned building units of the various courses embodied in the construction of Figure 1 may be made in accordance with my aforesaid `co-pendingapplication and of the various materials or combinations of materials therein set forth. However, and in accordance with certain other features of my invention, I prefer to construct the above-mentioned building units ina manner and embodying structural features now to be described.

Accordingly, reference might now be made to I Figure 4 in which building unit H1 of Figure 1 is shown in horizontal section and on an enlarged scale. It comprises slab-like inner and outer members 20 and 2| which may be cast or formed of materials like cement, materials such as are used in tiles and including glaze, any other` appropriate material capable of fabrication into the sizes and shapes desired, such as asbestos composition, fiber-board, so-called sheetrock, plaster-board, maze-wood, cardboard, or the like, or they may be cut or sheet stone, marble, or the like; in general, they may per se be constructed of materials as set forth in my abovementioned application, and as will now be clear, they are preferably dimensioned* as to length and breadth as are the ultimate 'building units themselves to be dimensioned.

These outer and inner members 20 and 2l are united to an interposed sealed cellular construction S which preferably takes the formandwhlch illustratively may be constructed in the -lmanner better shown in Figure 7 and in .Figures 9-11. being made of a suitable sheet material and prei'- erably of what I shall term fibrous paper but which preferably has characteristics later described in detail.

Though, as will presently be understood, the component members of sheet material making up the interposed cellular structure S may be individually fabricated (and then assembled) out of sheets initially cut or prepared to the right or desired size, I prefer to achieve greater speed and less expense of production by achieving substantial continuity of production of the major elements of the interposed -cellular construction S by utilizing rolls of fibrous paper and from which rolls the-latter may be drawn as the processing thereof proceeds, and I have therefore diagrammatically indicated in Figures 8, 9 and 10 a preferred arrangement for so constructing certain elements or parts of the interposed cellular construction S. f

Referring then rst to Figure 8, there is shown at 23 a table or platen of suitable width to accommodate the width of the web or fibrous paper operated upon illustratively (at least as wide as the width of a building unit), the table 23 being 'of any suitable length, V'preferably greater than the length of a building unit. Onto this table 23 and in a direction from left to right, as indicated bythe arrow, movement of the element of the cellular structure S is to take place, that move- To the left of the table 23 I provide suitable supports 24, 25 for rotatably supporting rolls 1i.l and R2 of fibrous paper; I have shown two such supports to illustrate how certain elements of the construction may be laminated as by the use of two thicknesses of fibrous paper and it is to be understood that that arrangement is illustrative and that more than two thicknesses of web and a corresponding number of supply rolls f paper may be provided if desired.

From` roll R1 the fibrous paper P1 and from the supply R2 the fibrous paper P2, each of a width later set forth, pass between suitable corrugating means arranged, if desired, to operate in a series of suitable successive steps or stages. Illustratively, I may employ rollers 26 and 21, shaped as is better shown in Figure 9, to start the corrugating of the two webs Pl and P2 as they continue to be drawn through the rolls 26-21. The latter are peripherally shaped to approximate the ultimate corrugations and thus yto prepare the web or webs operated upon for the succeeding corrugating operations of which, depending upon the type or character of fibrous paper' employed, only one step might squfllce. Accordingly, the webs P1 and P2, after leaving the rollers 26-21, pass in between rollers 28-29 which are preferably shaped as is better shown in Figure 10,-that shape being that which the web or webs are finally to have, and in Figure it will be seen that the webs P1 an'd P2 are made in cross-section to be regularly reentrant, preferably along straight lines, though, of course. and preferably providing appropriate arcs of curvature where any one straight line of the cross-section merges into the next with which it makes an angle.

In the course of transforming the plane sheetlike material as it comes eff of the roll or rolls into the above-suggested cross-section and which for convenience I have termed corrugated or repeatedly reentrant, the width of the sheet material has, of course, been reduced, and its initial width is so chosen and the corrugating operations so carried out that its nal width, as it emerges from the corrugating rollers 28-29, closely approximates the width of the ultimate building unit.

In cross-section, as is better seen in Figure 10, the webs P1-P2 will be seen to form what might be termed a series of open trapezoids, open at their longer base; depending upon various factors, including the characteristics of the brous material or fibrous paper, the dimensions of these trapezoids may, of course, widely vary, but I prefer to give them dimensions approximating the following order of magnitudez-The short base of the trapezoid can be about 2, the long or open base about 3", and the altitude (the spacing between the two bases) about 1".

It will, of course, also be understood that this corrugated element need not be laminated and might be made of a single web, such as the web P1 from the roll R1 of Figure 8. Where, however, and as is preferred, the element is to be laminated or made of several thicknesses, these several layers are secured together by a suitable adhesive and in Figure 8 I have indicated at AA adhesive applicators of any suitable construction for applying a suitable adhesive preferably to each of the contiguous faces of the webs P1 and P2 so that the faces of the latter that are to be brought into contact are appropriately supplied with the adhesive and hence preferably prior to their entry into the corrugating mechanisms. Accordingly, the latter may and preferably does also act to press the several webs together and thus also to insure the desired and a secure interaction between the adhesive and the several faces of the several webs that are thus to be secured together. Where the corrugating mechanism takes the form of successive sets of rollers, the latter may be Apressed toward each other by any suitable means (not shown) to apply the required pressure to bring about an intimate union,

through the adhesive of the several laminatons.

Also, by applying the adhesive prior to corrugating I facilitate the corrugating steps in that the adhesive can be suited to the material of the fibrous paperand can act to soften the latter up somewhat and take out of it any such brittleness as might tend to cause rupture or breakage of the web or webs.

As the webs P1-P3 emerge from the steps oi' corrugating, they are, therefore, in the formbetter shown in Figure 10, and for convenience I shall designate the resultant corrugated yand laminated element by the reference character 30, and in Figure 1l a fragment of that element 30 is shown in perspective.

It is this element 30 (see Figure 8) which emerges from the corrugating mechanism and which is to continue in its movement toward the right onto and across the table 23, but as that movement proceeds, I relate to the available upper and lower faces of the corrugated element plane elements 3i and 32, respectively (see Figure 11) made preferablyv of the same sheet material or fibrous paper as constitutes the webs P1 and P2. Thus plane elements 3| andv 32 may also be and preferably are laminated. To form and interrelate the lower plane element 32, I provide a suitable number of supportsjillustratively two, as

shown at 33 and 34, for rolls R3 and R4 of fibrous paper P3 and P4, respectively, \but of a width now equal to the width of the corrugated element 30 -and alined therewith. Web P?) lpasses over a roller 35 immediately underneath the moving corrugated element 30,*thus to feed the web P3 .into contact with the longitudinally extending strip-like under faces of the corrugated element 30, an adhesive applicator AA first operating to interpose between theweb l?3 `and the element 30 a suitableadhesive, as by applying the latter to the web P3.

Web P4 passes over a roller 36 thus to bring the fibrous paper P4 into alinement and contact with the under face of the web or layer Ps which has already, as just described, been applied to the under side of the corrugated element 30, and adhesive applicator AA applying asuitable adhesive, illustratively to the upper face of the web P4, for interposing between the contacting faces of the Webs P3 and P4 and thus to secure them together. Of course,\if it is not desired to laminate the lower plane element 32, only one supply roll and web need be employed while if more than two laminations are required, more than the two Illustratively above described are, of course, employed.

The upper plane element 3| is -applied to the corrugated element 30 in a similar manner and illustratively that also is to be two-ply or of two laminations. Accordingly, I provide supports 31 and 33 for supply rolls R5 and R.6 of fibrous paperor webs PF and P which are led dowaunder rolls 33 and 40, resctlvely, for ap` plying the'web P5, after adhesive application thereto by adhesive applicator AA, to the upper available faces of the corrugated element 30 and for applying the web P6 to the upper face of the web P after application thereto of adhesive by the applicator AA.

The rollers 35 and 39 will be seen to be juxtaposed as is also the case with respect to rollers 36 and 40; the rollers of these two sets are appropriately spaced and preferably suitably pressed toward each other to insure that the webs and/orlaminations of the upper and lower plane elements 3| and 32 are suitably pressed together and to the corrugated central element 30, by any suitable means.(not shown).

Emerging from the last set of rollers 36-40, therefore, is the construction 3l--30--32 (see Figures 8 and 11) sliding onto and along the table 23 as the process continues. Any suitable means (not shown) may be employed to drive the various rollers or devices and to feed the various webs or resultant structural elements at appropriate speed or speeds.

As the resultant sub-assembly 3|-30--32 is thus produced, it is cut up transversely by any suitable means, such as preferably a saw, into suitable lengths. The cutting means is not shown and it may operate in conjunction with thecontinued movement of the sub-assembly along the table 23 or the movement cf the sub-assembly may be interrupted or made intermittent` to permit the cutting off of successive appropriate lengths of the sub-assembly.

far as certain features of my invention are concerned, be embodied per se or in its existing form into the structure which is interposed between the inner and outer members 20 and 2i of the building units (see Figure 4), but since I prefer to give the cellular structure S (Figure 4) a construction embodying numerous sealed or closed seals or pockets, I utilize the sub-assembly 32-30-3i, made as above described, to coact with other sub-assemblies to form such sealed or closed seals. For this purpose, therefore, I cut the sub-assembly 32-30-3i (Figure l1) transversely of its length and along planes or lines that are oblique, subtending therebetween the same angle as is subtended by the 'inclined sides. of the above-described trapezoidal corrugations of the element 30; in Figure 11 three successive lines of transverse cutting are indicated at 4i, 42 and 43,

vbut the planes along which the cutting instrualong line 43 is indicated by the line 45 and is also obliquebut inclined oppositely to the plane of the last cutting; this procedure is repeated.

As above indicated, the angle between the planes 44 and 45 and the angle between planes 45 and 45, and so on, are equal to the angle subtended by the inclined sides of the above-mentioned trapezoidal cross-section of the element 30. Moreover, the spacing between the lines of cutting 4l and 42 is equal to the length of the longer (open) base of the trapezoidal corrugation, and accordingly the resultant dimension of the plane element 32 (Figure 11) is equal to the length of the shorter base of the trapezoid. The spacing between the lines of cutting 42 and 43 is equal to the length of the shorter base of the trapezoid and since the angles of inclination are as above stated, the resultant dimension of the plane element 32 where it is intersected by the planes of cutting 45 and 46 is equal to the long (or open) base of the trapezoid.

Thereby I form strip-like transverse sections of the sub assembly 32-30-3I and in Figure 'le I have shown in perspective and indicated generally by the reference character 50 one of the resultant strips, whose upper plane element comprises' the element 3|a, being a section of the element 3| of Figure 11, whose lower strip-like element 32a being a narrower strip of the plane element 32 of Figure 1l, and holding these strips in spaced relation and secured thereto in the manner above described is the corrugated element 30a, being a transverse strip of the element 30 of Figure l1 but trapezoidal when viewed from one end. In Figure 7 these component parts are shown in exploded perspective. Withthe dimensions given the member 50 of Figure 'la as abe-ve described, it is brought into unique coaction with other elements of my cellular construction, as is now to be described.

By following the steps outlined above in connection with Figure 8, but omitting the application of the webs whichform the upper and lower plane elements 3| and 32, I now corrugate, from the rolls El and R2 and cause to be :adhered together by a suitable adhesive, webs P1 and P2 (ir only two laminations are desired) and thus produce substantially continuously trapezoidal elements 33 (Figure 11) alone, devoid of the upper and lower plane elements 3| andi 32, preferably, however, as by changing the shape of -the rollers 28 and 29 or changing their adjustment, increasing somewhat, at least by the thicknesses of the elements 3| and 32, the depth or altitude of the trapezoidal corrugations. Thus, the table 23, incarrying out these operations, receives a continuous strip of element 30 alone; that continuous strip is cut transversely into lengths equivalent'to the width or length of the building.

unit that is intended to be made, illustrative dimens/ions of which were earlier above set forth.

In Figure 7 I have indicated at 5| one of the thus resulting sheet members and anotherV at '52. Into the trapezoidal corrugations or hollowsof `members 5| and 52 are now laid and interfltted the strip-like members 50, the lateralmo side edges of the elements 3|1-3lla-i2a and th titer or exposed face of the narrower strip oie/piane element' 32a (Figure 7) thereof, having liirst applied to them a suitable adhesive. Due to the dimensioning oi' the various trapezoidal crosssections as above described, these cross-strips 501 are snugly received in the hollows or trapezoidal corrugations on both sides of each member 5| and 52, are snugly interfltted therewith and become strongly and securely united thereto by the adhesive.

As a result, the trapezoidal open-ended pockets (see Figure 7a) of the eross-strip or element 50 are closed by the inclined side walls of the trapezoidal corrugations with which they are thus interfitted and thus there results a composite sub-structure, relatively throughout, containing numerous closed and sealed cells or air pockets, but of exceeding strength, due to the unique interactions or the various parts of which it is made up.

For example, and still referring to Figure 7, the cross-members 50 denitely retain the corrugated sheet member 5| (and member 52 as well) against distortion out of its corrugated shape and also against distortion out of its gcnthin-walled eral planeabout an axis parallel to the direction of the corrugations. For example, any tendency to warp or bend the corrugated member 5| about` the axis of a corrugation is resisted by the corrugatedelement 3|)El of the cross-member 50 but that resistance is exerted in the direction of the length of the corrugations in the member 30, being thus structurally well suited to assume forces of compression. Any tendency to warp the sheet 5| (or sheet 52) about an axis transverse to the direction of the corrugations therein is, of course, weil resisted by the cross-section of the corrugations and of the sheet itself.

Furthermore, and considering the element 50 again (see Figure 7) the upper and lower plane' strip elements 3|e and 32e thereof, securely anchored to the intermediate element 3|)a dependably coact with the latter to resist any tendencies to flatten out the member 3|) itself.

In effect there results a criss-cross arrangement of truss structures, one truss-like element reinforcing the other in euch a way and in that direction in which that other truss element might have a weaker or weakest truss effect or strength.

When the cross-elements 50, of trapezoidal cross-section, are set into the transverse hollows on each side of the corrugated sheets 5| and 52, due to the dimensionings above described, the wider plane element 3| (Figures '7 and 7a) of each cross-element 50 line up with or are bridged between the rear faces of the bottoms of the hollows in these corrugated sheets, forming continuations thereof and giving the thus resulting subassembly side faces, substantially continuous or plane, and substantially of a length and breadth equal to the length and breadth of the ultimate building construction unit.

It'has a thickness on the order of 1% or 11/2" (by way of illustration), and though it appears solid, is, however, replete with sealed air cells as will now be plain and is relatively light in weight.

As many of such sub-assemblies or sub-units as is desired may now be related to each other, face to face, and to suitable inner and outer members like the members 2li and 2| above described in connection with Figure 4. 4 three such cellular sub-units are shown at Si, S2 and S3, being interposed between the inner and outer members 2i and 20, all secured together by a suitable adhesive.

In-:ffFigure 7, and solely by4 way of illustration, I h'ave shown the parts of only two such subassemhlies at S4 and S5, and though they may be directly secured to each other and directly secured to the inner and outer members, yet l'. prefer to proceed as followsr- I preferably interpose between the sub-units S4 and S5 a sheet 53 cf suitable material; it may be mede up of the above-mentioned iibrous paper and may oe laminated, and hence constructed similarly es are the illustrative forms of the elements of the sub-assemblies themselves. The sheet 'nember 53, however, may be made of any other suitable material, such as fiber-board, asbestos composition, sheet-rock, or other natural or artificial sheet material. This 1s interposed between the two sub-units S4 and S5 and the three are secured together by a suitable adhesive.

To the remaining face of sub-unit S4 is secured in a similar way a sheet 54 similar to the sheet 53 above described and to the remaining or under face of the sub-unitlS5 is similarly secured a sheet 55 of similar' characteristics.

En Figure.

The sheets 55, 54 and 55 dependably unify or unite the lateral (upper and lower as viewed in Figure 7) faces of the sub-units S4 and S5 and greatly reinforce the adhesive joints between the cross-strips 55 and the inclined side walls of the trapezoidal corrugations oi' the sheets 5| and 52.

Where, as may be desired under some circumstances, the'sheets 53, 54 and 55 comprise relatively thin sheet material, such as fibrous paper, I may and preferably do desire to superimpose upon the remaining exposed faces of the sheets 56 and 55 sheet-like sections 56 and 51, respectively, made of a material of good stiffness and tensile strength, Illustratively so-called sheetrock, secured thereto by suitable adhesive or cement.

The outer and inner members 20 and 2|, earlier above described as to their possible composition or construction, are now cemented to the sheets 55 and 51, respectively, where the latter are employed, or are cemented directly to the sheets 54 and 55, respectively, where the latter are employed, or may be cemented directly to the faces of one or more sub-units like the units S4 and S5. The inner and outer slab-like members 2| and 20 are, however, staggered in two directions relative to the parts to which they are secured; this relation of the parts is better shown in Figure 4. Thus the outer member 20 of the unit G1 overlaps or projects to the right of the alined and mated cellular sub-units S1, S2 and S3A at the righthand end ofthe building unit G1 while the inner member 2| of that unit G1 falls short of the right-hand end of the alined cellular subunits S1, S2, S3; at their left-hand ends the outer members 25 and 2| of the unit G1 have a reverse relation, -a relation better shown at the lefthand end of unit H1 where it will be seen (Figure 4) that outer member 25 terminates at its left-hand end short of the interposed cellular structure S, while the inner member 2| of unit H1, at its ieft-hand-end,fextends beyond or overlaps the interposed cellular structure S.

Furthermore, the cellular structure S due to the way it is constructed as was described above in connection with Figure 7, presents, at the vertical edges of the building units, a zigzag-like form or shape, where two or more sub-units are employed to make up the cellular structure S.

As a result, successive building units in a given course, such as units E, F, G, etc., and E1, F1, G1, etc., of Figure 1, interlock and interilt neatly and snugly. As they are thus intertted, a suitable cement or adhesive is employed to the contiguous or adjacent faces of the interiltting parts, and thus a secure mechanical and sealed interconnection is achieved. 'I'he interfltting of the parts not only facilitates the assembly of the units into a wall but also adds to themechanical rigidity and strength of the resultant wall. Certain parts 'of each building unit are thus allowed to project beyond the end edge to be interlocked and in-` tertted with other staggered parts of the adjacent building unit. y

Any suitable material that lends itself to han- A'tiling in sheet form and to treatment as was described above in connection with Figure 7 may be'4 employed in making up the cellular subassemblies and some of the materials already apulp Awhose principal base is straw and such 4"il)niet-dike materialor fibrous paper may be pro- --duc'efdin accordance, for example, with United States Letters lIiatent Nos. 1,924,815, 1,924,660 and 1,865,649. Such fibrous material is water-proof, fire-resisting and. when embodied in such forms as the sub-units S4 or S5 of Figure 7, results in a construction which is relatively light but of great strength andirigidity. Moreover, that material is inexpensive.

The cementsV or adhesives that may be employed may be of any suitable character and may take the form of any appropriate or suitable glue, cellulose compounds, rubber cements,'or the like.

In carrying on the building construction with my building construction units, I prefer, referring now to Figure 1, to run an upwardly facing channel iron 60 along a suitable foundation or support 6|, the building units having, along their upper and lower edges longitudinally extending slots into which the flanges of the channel 66 interflt, the channel 60 being anchored to the support 6| in any suitable way. The slots in the building units for receiving these flanges may be provided in any suitable way as, for example, by milling, cutting, or sawing such slots closely aracent the inner and outer members 2| and 20 or into the members 2| and 20 themselves; I may, however, also, where I employ the members 56 and 51 of Figure 7 provide such slots by making these sheets 56 and 51 of lesser length than the parts with which they are related and to an extent commensurate with the depth of the anges, thus providing space or slots for the reception of the latter.

Having -completed the ilrst course E, F, G, etc., an I-beam or two joined channels, as is indicated at 62, is now set into the upwardly exposed slots along the alined upper edges of the units of the iirst course; the downwardly projecting iianges take into those slots while the upwardly directed ilanges are received into the slots of the bottom faces of the building units E1, F1, G1, etc., of the second course, and so on. Thus, an I-beam or two channel members secured together, shown at 63, are similarly related to the upper alined edges of the units of the second course, and to the upwardly directed flanges the units E, F1, G2, etc. of the second course are intertted and related.

To provide for the ceiling, and prior to running the third course E2, F2, G3, etc., I provide, at suitable spaced intervals, I-beams 64, 65, 66, etc., these I-beams resting at -their respective ends upon the I-beam or channel construction 65. In Figure 3 is shown this interrelation, on an enlarged scale. Thus, the I-beam or double channel construction 63 is shown with its downwardly directed flanges received in appropriate slots, as above described, in, for example, the building unit F1 of Figure 1; the innermost (right-hand) of the two upwardly directed anges is cut away as at 6311 so as to receive the I-beam 66 which thus is made to rest iiat against the cross-web of the I-beam structure 63, and to which it may be secured in any suitable manner, as by the device 61. The building unit F2 of the third course is cut away, as with a saw, or the like, as at 68, preferably by cutting out of its lower end edge a rectangular recess of suihcient height and breadth to accommodate the cross-section of the beam 66, the outer member 20 of the building unit F1, however, remaining uncut and thus externally of the building closing off or covering over the end of the beam 66.

With a suitable number of anged cross-beams 6I, 65, 66, etc., thus bridged across from wall to wall, I now proceed to provide a ceiling surfacing on the under side of the beams and a flooring on the upper side thereof.

The flooring is generally indicated in Figure 1 at 10 and in Figures 2 and 3 sectional fragments of it are shown on a larger scale. 'Ihe flooring 10 is made of building units constructed as earlier above described, comprising, briefly, an upper surfacing sheet member 1I, a lower sheet member 12, and an interposed cellular structure which, illustratively, comprises two cellular sub-units S6 and S'I constructed like the units S4 and S5 etc., above described in connection with Figure 7 and joined to the sheet members 1| and 12 as already above described in connection with the other building units.

The members 1I and 12 of the flooring 10 may be made of any suitable material, such as those earlier mentioned and the material of the upper member 1I is selected to give it good resistance to wear and substantial hardness and rigidity. I1- lustratively, artificial composition board, such as sheet-rock, may be employed.

The building or floor units are made of a suiiicient dimension in a direction crosswise of the beams 64, 65, etc., so as to bridge over at least two beams, and assembly thereof to the building construction as the latter proceeds is preferably achieved by means carried by the floor units themselves and arranged for interengagement or interlocking action with the beams upon which they are to rest. For example, secured to the under member 12 of the floor units and spaced apart by the same distance as the spacing of the beams 64, 65, etc., are members 13 preferably of the same length as the width of the floor units themselves and shaped as is better shown in Figures 2 and 3. These members 13 comprise a base portion 13a of sufficient expanse to overlie the upper face or webs of the beam (beam 66 in Figures 2 and 3) and a horizontally extending but, downwardly spaced lip or hook-shapedY part 13b (Figure 2), in the space or slot between which parts 13a and 13b one of the horizontally extending flanges of the beam 66 is received.

In Figures 2 and 3 these relations between the part 13 and the beam 66 are shown while in Figure 1 the parts 13 ofnone of the fioor units are shown in interengaged or interlocked relation to beams 64 and 65, and one of the several members 13 of the floor unit immediately to the left of the one just mentioned, is shown in similar relation to the beam 66.

The oor units are thus related to the beams respectively supporting them by simply laying the floor units down on their respective beams so that the parts 13a of the members 13 rest upon the respective beams and then, by sliding the floor units toward the left as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, the hook-like lip 13b of the members 13 is made to take in under the beam flange; the floor units of a run are therefore successively laid down in a direction beginning at the left and proceeding toward the right'as viewed in Figure l, so that,'when the right-hand end wall units corresponding to the building unit I2 are set in place, the entire run of floor units is blocked against movement toward the right and hence disengagement of the members 13 from the various beams precluded and the above-described interlocking action is dependably and permanently maintained.

The ceiling construction generally indicated at 14 in Figures 1, 2 and 3 proceeds in a somewhat similar manner and may be made up of ceiling units corresponding in construction to that of the above-described floor units? but since the cellular construction of the floor units of the flooring 1U is suilicient to provide the desired heat insulation, sound insulation, resistance to fire transmission, and other mechanical or physical properties that are desirable as between the rooms or spaces above or below the ceiling, I may and preferably do make the ceiling 14 of any suitable sheet material of any suitable thickness; it may, for example, comprise suitable block or sheetlike sections of suitable composition sheet material, such as plaster-board, fiber-board, asbestos composition, and the like, preferably of dimensions commensurate with the dimensions of the floor units employed, immediately above the ceiling. These sheet-like sections of the ceiling structure 14 are provided with cross-members 15 (Figures 1, 2 and 3) which may be'constructed exactly -as the members 13 above described, though they are related to the upper side of the' ceiling units. Here again the sheet-like sections or ceiling units, each thus provided with at least two members 15, are successively related to the beams in a direction from the left to the right, each being given a slight sliding movement toward the leftl to interengage the hook-shaped member 15 with the right-hand lower flange of the beam or beams. The last ceiling section (the right-hand one as Viewed in Figure 1) is shownwith its members 15 interlocked with the beams 64 and 65, movement thereof to the right and hence movement of the entire run of ceiling units in that direction being prevented by the positioning of the upper run of side wall building units corresponding to the unit I1 of Figure 1, the interlocking engagement of the ceiling units to the beams being thus permanently maintained. Of course, where the floor'units and ceiling units are thus made to depend upon the end wall units I2 and I1, respectively, for holding them against displacement, it will be understood that the ceiling units are first put in place, then the run of endlrwall units corresponding to building unit I1, then the double channel member 63 put in place, then the floor units, and then the run of end wall` units correspondingto the building unit I2 of Figure 1.

The members 13 and 15 may be integrally' formed with the members 12 and 14, respectively,. or they may be secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by a suitable cement or adhesive;- likewise these members 13 and 15 may be made of any suitable material and may even be molded.- In the case of the ceiling units, the slight load of the latter is by the members 15 uniformly distributed throughoutA the beams and in the case of the floor units, the members 13 aid in insuringa uniform distribution of that load to and through-- out the beams, the load of the latter that is transmitted to the side walls which carry them being in turn uniformly distributed throughout the latter by the I-beam or double channel construction 63upon which the I-beam rests (see Figure 3).

The lioor units are interfitted, as will now be understood, just as the wall building units intert as was above described in detail with respect tol units G1 and H1 of Figure 4. Such intertting,

in the case of all of the cellular building units,

achieves a large area of end or edge face of contact with each other and it isbetween these zig- Zag' and interfltting edge or end faces that I inject, as the building construction proceeds, a suitable cement or adhesive and thus achieve notl only a good mechanical bond between adiacenti units but also a sealing of the joints as against weather, water, air, vermin, heat, etc., and the like. Preferably,' also, such cement or adhesive is employed in interrelating the wall units to the structural steel members, such as the horizontal channel members 60, 62, 63, etc. (Figure 1). Similarly, the junctions -between sections of the ceiling 14 as well as the junction between the ceiling units (and also of the floor units) with the side or end walls, are sealed by an appropriate cement or adhesive.

To achieve a dependable and inexpensive and quickly installed mechanical junction between, for example, two outside Walls that extend at right angles to each other, I provide sectionalized vertical columns (Figure 4) shaped to provide an outer and preferably curved face 8| and two faces generally indicated at 82 and 83 which are shaped as better shown in Figure 4 to interi-lt and interengage with the building unit, aasuitable cement or adhesive being interposed between the resultant contacting surfaces.

'I'he column sections are conveniently of the same height as the helght'of the building units employed and in Figure 1 three such sections are shown at 80, 80D and llc. The sections may be made of any suitable material and will be seen to be in a form or shape susceptible of easy and inexpensive fabrication; if desired, for example, they may be made of molded concrete or any other suitable moldable composition. l

Where it is desired to achieve, in 'building construction, certain advantages of concrete, I make it possible to do so while eliminating numerous disadvantages thereof and at the same time achieving advantages which have heretofore been incapable of achievement in concrete construction. `In Figures 5 and 6 I have indicated features of my invention whereby such advantages may be achieved.

In Figure 5 there is shown in horizontal section a portion of a vertical wall made up o f building units ofthe character already above. described and hence embodying the numerous advantages as to inexpensiveness of construction, lightness of Weight, speed yof assembly, heat insulation, sound-proofness, fire-resistance, and the like, and it may be assumed that, in Figure 5, building unit F of Figure 1 isshown in horizontal crosssection. To the outer member 20 of building unit F and which outer member 20 may, bythe way, be made of much thinner sheet material than shown in the drawings, there are secured in any suitable manner or integrally formed therewith vertically extending a suitable number of preferably closely spaced dovetail members, two of which are shown in Figure 5 at 90 and 9|. The spacing may be on the order of l' or so. I then provide for each building unit, and hence for building unit F of Figure 5, a sheet member 92 of the same area as the member 20 thereof; sheet member 92, illustratively of sheet-rock or other suitable sheet material well adapted to withstand. weather, and the like, has secured thereto or integrally formed therewith a suitable number of vertically extending dovetails 93 and 94, the spacing of which from left to right as viewed in Figure 5, is similarto the spacing of members 90, 9|, etc., of the building unit F.

I then provide spacers preferably taking the form as is better shown at 95 in perspective in Figure 6. The spacer 95 is preferably made of sheet metal, thus lending itself to speedy and inexpensive fabrication and has other features giving it substantial strength and rigidity.

For example, it has a central strip-like portion 96 which is stamped or formed, as at 91, preferably along its median or center line to bulge out of the plane -of the central portion 96, thereby giving the lengthwise extending portion 96-91 adequate strength and resistance to bending.

At appropriate intervals along its length, the member 95 is cut or slit transversely, and the resultant pairs of members are bent alternately in opposite directions out of the plane of the portion 96; thereby are formed pairs 98-99 of arms directed to the right of the plane of the portion 96 and spaced vertically and pairs of arms -|0| and |02 extending to the left of the plane of the portion 96 and also spaced vertically but alternated with the pairs of arms that extend to the right.-

These various arms are, furthermore, bent again, as shown, to provide extreme end portions inclined to each other and spaced apart to substantially mate with the angles and spacing of the inclined vertical faces of the dovetails 90, 9|. etc., on the building units and dovetails 93, 94, etc. of the outer sheet members 92.

Accordingly, having assembled a suitable number of building units in the manner already above described, I then assemble to the exterior thereof a corresponding number of sheet members 92, utilizing spacer members 95 to interengage with the respective dovetails, resulting in the relation better shown in Figure 5, and thereby mechanically and securely holding the member or members 92 parallel and in accurate alinement with each other and with respect to the interiitted wall units.

Into the space thus provided between the wall units and the sheet members 92 I now pour concrete or other appropriate plastic material, indicated at I 03 in Figure 5. Material |03 is of a thickness commensurate with the spacing between the Wall units and the sheet members 92 and that, of course, may be made' whatever it is desired by correspondingly constructing the spacers 95. The poured concrete bonds itself to the wall units and also to the sheet members 92 and, furthermore,

interlocks with the various dovetails on' both the`l outside sheet members 92 and on the building units, for, it will be noted, the alternate arrangement of the pairs of gripping arms of the spacers 95 insures a free flow of the concrete into interlocking engagement with the thereby exposed portions of the various dovetails.

By suitably selecting the material of which the external sheet members 92 are made, illustratively sheet-rock, or like composition, the external face of the wall is neat and smooth and requires no patching up or surface finishing, as is the case with `present-day methods of pouring concrete structures, where the forms aresubsequently re-Y..

moved'andA the impressionsleft by the forms, usually of timber, in the exposed surfaces of the concrete have to be gone over or otherwise surfaced or finished.

'I'he resultant construction as shown in Figure 5 will thus be seen to combine the advantages of concrete and of my building unit construction, while dependably eliminating numerous disadvantages inherent in present-day concrete construction and practice.'

It will thus be seen that there has been 4provided in this invention a building construetion, a building unit, and method of achieving the same, in which the various objects hereinbefore noted tolgether with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. It will be seen that the invention mayjin practice be carried out speedily and inexpensively, that inexpensive materials may be employed, that Yquantity production may be easily carried on, that the building unit can be made in relatively large sizes and easily shipped, being light yet strong and durable, and that the assembly thereof may be carried on speedily and inexpensively.

The cellular construction of the spacer units achieves numerous thoroughly practical advantages among which may be mentioned these:- Transmission of heat through the wall or building portion which is constructed in this manner is effectively retarded, dependable insulation against the transmission of sound israchieved, and the mechanical interrelation of the various elements that go to make up the cellular units provides great strength and rigidity and permits the employrnent of surprisingly small thicknesses Yof sheetmaterial in making them up. rlghe cellular construction in particular provides a gast multitude of sealed air cells or pockets in which correspondingly relatively small qiiantities of air are respectively trapped, and hence any such circulation of air as: would be materially effective in the transfer of heat, as by convexion currents, or the like,is dependably precludedf By the structural features of Imy invention, these air cells can; be made of anydesired size and numbergwhile at the same time retaining the above-mentioned dependable rigidity, strength, and load-carrying capacity of the resultant building unit; the various elements that go to mal-ge up thecellular spacer units act, as earlier set forth, somewhat liketrusses and do so in virtually all directions, thereby achieving great strength withY the employment of a minimum of material. I i

While I have above described and set forti; the making up of certain of the elements or parts of the cellular spacer units out of Web-like brous material or-paper, I wish it to be understood that, in so far as certain other features of my invention are concerned, these elements or parts may be constructed in other ways. For example, the elements 5I and 52 ofrFigure '7 can beindividually built up out of successive laminations, or lthese elements may be made of a moldable material and pressed somewhat as is described my abovementioned eo-pendingapplication with respect to other forms of cellular construction; and the same is true of the various parts that go to make up the cross-members 50 of Figures 7 and '1a.

My invention, furthermore, is, in so tar as certain features are concerned, capable of being carried out in various ways; for example, the manner of. laying the flooring 10 and of applying the ceiling; 14 of Figure 1 may be proceeded with as follows:-Instead of having Ythe hook-like members 13 and 'l5 secured to the floor and ceiling sections, respectively, as was above-described, I may furnish such strip-like hook-shaped members separately and relate them individually'to the flanges of the-beam memberasuch as beams 64, 65, 66,-etc., of Figures 1, 2 and 3; to the upper and lower faces of the members 'I3 and i5, respectively, I may then apply a suitable cement or adhesive and then lay the oor units of the floor 10 down upon the membersrr'lB and lay the ceiling units of the. ceiling 'I4 up against the members 15. Any suitable means may be employed t9 apply suitable pressure to these floor and ceiling units for a suitable period of time to let the cement or adhesive set. ne advantageous where circumstances may require a peculiar fitting of 4floor orY ceiling 'units to peculiarly shaped angles, corners, or the like, of

This method may.'Y

arzzfrzo the building and also has advantages in that greater adaptabilitylto various flange lengths or thicknesses of the beams is made possible.

In carrying out this last-mentioned method of securing the floor and/or ceiling units to the bearns, I am enabled also, and in a simple manner; to insure a secure fastening of the units to their respective beams. For example, and let it be assumed that a single floor unit (see Figure l) rests upon beams 64 and 65, I relate the hook-like members 'I3 to the'two beams so that the hooklike members face VVtoward each other; thus -the member I3Y is related to the right-hand upper flange of the beaml, as shown in Figure 1, but the other member 'I3 is related to the left-hand upper flange of the beam 65 so that, when the floor unit is now secured to the two members 63, movement of the oor unit in a direction to the right or left is positively prevented. A similar procedure may be adopted with respect to the ceiling units.

The upright corner member 80 (Figure 4) is, as above noted, preferably in sections of appropriate vertical lengths, lengths that preferably coincide with the heights of the wall or building units. In Figure 1 it has been assumed that the ,required room height is gained by two building units or two runs of building units, stacked one upon the other, and the @garner is completed by two correspondingly dimensioned corner units 80a and 80". However, the wall units may be of such a vertical dimension, and so also the corner units, that a single horizontal run of building units gives the required or desired height from' iioor to ceiling. Y

' In Figure 4il is shown on a smaller scale a horizontal see-tion along the junction of twoY horizontal runs of a side andfend wall, joined at the corner by a corner unit. f 'I'he view in Figure 4 shows the channel or I-beam construction 62 already above described, terminating preferably in 1 interlocking engagement with the corner unit 80, a

the latter being provided with suitable slots or recesses Vfor receiving the downwardly directed flanges of the members 62, 62. Preferably, I providea curved or suitably shaped metal plate member H0 which is secured at yits two ends as by bolts, screws or rivets II--I I I, to the central or horizontal web or webs of the structural steel members 62, 62; thereby insuring a permanent.- unity of the corner junctions ofthe walls, suit-r able provision being, of course, made, as by appropriate recesses, in the adjoining faces of the successive corner units and building units to accommodate the corner angle or junction plate H0.

It will, of course, be understood that the above suggested dimensions for the various parts of the construction are illustrative and that they may, of course; be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention. nFor example, Irmay find it desirable to so proportion the cornetgunits 80 with respect tothe heights of the building units that the dimension of the former is several times the dimension of the latter; for example, I may dimension the buildingunits so that two runs are needed to: provideY the vertical dimension equivalent to one story of the building while the corresponding corner unit 80 may be ofla vertical height equal tothe height of the story itself.

In Figure 4a I have also shown a vertical or upright memberV |20, in some respects like the above-mentioned corner unit 80, but illustrating other features o f my invention"V and showing how members or a member like the part |20 is constructed and shaped and interrelated to the building units to form, for example, a doorframe, or Windowframe. It will be noted that the member or members |20 which, by the way, maybe made of any suitable material and may be molded or cast, as of cement, or may be made of other suitable materials, compositions, fabrications, or the like, is shaped as at |20a to intert with the adjacent building unit or units, and may be shaped as at I 20b to receive a windowsr or windows,

, or door, or the like, the member or members |20 above indicated or described with respect to the corner units 80.

Also, it will be understood that the flooring above described in connection with Figure 1 is to be considered as illustrative of a roof construction, though in most instances the latter will have an incline or slope.

Likewise, the materials employed, particularly in the inner and outer sheet-like members 20 and 2| may be widely varied to meet the conditions desired. For example, the outer member may be, as above already suggested, of sheetrock, artificial stone, concrete or cement in sheet form, composition material like trancite, and the like. The inner member may be made of such materials as just mentioned or of other materials which need not have good weather-resisting qualities such as plaster-board, ber-board, sheet-wood, impregnated sheet-wood, mazewood, and also and desirably, for better protection against re, asbestos sheet compositions. These and related variations of materials and various purposes and objectives thereby to be achieved may be pursued in a manner as is outlined in greater detail in my above-mentioned co-pending application to which reference mat7 therefore be had for further details.

Furthermore, the construction will be seen tobe of a thoroughly practical character and well adapted to meet the varying conditions of hard practical use.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art described herein might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinabove set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:-

1. In construction of the character described, in combination, a building unit comprising two spaced outer sheet-like members of suitable material and means interposed therebetween comprising a sheet-like member substantially corrugated and having seated lengthwise in the 1 longitudinally extending hollows 'on both sides means to which said two spaced outer sheet-like members are respectively secured.

3. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which each strip-like corrugated member that is seated in a corrugation of said corrugated sheet member has bridged across and secured to the outer faces of the corrugated portions a sheetlike strip.

4. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the strip-like corrugated members that are seated in the corrugations of said sheet-like member each has on both sides thereof and secured to the rexternal high parts of its corrugations a strip-like bridging member, having the resultant effect of a truss-like structure.

5. In a method of constructing building parts of the character described, the combination of steps which comprises forming a plurality of corrugated sheet members having troughs on at least one side thereof of substantially the same transverse cross-section, cutting one of said corrugated sheets transversely of the corrugations therein into a plurality of strips along planes defining a cross-section to substantially mate said first-mentioned cross-section, and seeming said corrugated strips into correspondingly crosssectioned troughs of another of said corrugated sheet members.

6. In a method of constructing building parts of the character described, the combination of steps which comprises forming a plurality of corrugated sheet members having troughs on at least one side thereof of substantially the same transverse cross-section, cutting one of said corrugated sheets transversely of the corrugations therein into a. plurality of strips along planes deiining a cross-section to substantially mate said first-mentioned cross-section, securing strip-like sheet members to said corrugated strips to give the latter a truss-like effect, and mounting the resultant strip-like parts in correspondingly cross-sectioned corrugations of another of said corrugated members.

7. In a method of constructing building parts of the character described, the combination of steps which comprises forming a plurality of corrugated sheet members having troughs on at least one side thereof of substantially the same transverse cross-section, cutting one of said corrugated sheets transversely of the corrugations therein into a plurality of strips along planes defining a cross-section to substantially mate said first-mentioned cross-section, v securing strip-like sheet members to both top and bottom of said strip-like members to substantially close over the corrugations in the latter and to give the latter a truss-like effect, and mounting the composite strip members in correspondingly cross-sectioned troughs of another of said members. 8. In construction of the character described. in combination, a -mu1ticellular sub-unit structure comprising sheet-like means presenting at least on one side thereof a plurality of transversely extending troughs, there being seated and secured in each of the latter and extending lengthwise thereof a truss-like structure comprising a corrugated strip-like member and two substantially flat strip-like members between which is interposed said corrugated strip-like member whose troughs are thereby closed and bridged over, giving said three members a truss-like effect.

9. In construction of the character described, in combination, a multi-cellular sub-unit strucalong and secured to said corrugated .strip-like member whose troughs at one side thereof are closed and bridged over by said flat strip-like member, giving successive portions of said two members a'truss-like effect.

BERNARD LONDON. 

